Kirkcaldy shopping centre: Sadness at decline and calls to ‘think out the box’

There was sadness at its decline and calls to think out the box to drive the town centre forward after several tough years of big departures.

The last two tenants in the shopping centre, Lloyds Chemist and Farmfoods, confirmed yesterday they were leaving.

Over 350 comments were posted on the Fife Free Press Facebook.

They included:Terence Munro: The Postings has great potential to be transformed into something the town’s community can really benefit from - like an amusement centre with cafes and restaurants.

The town’s population has grown massively over the past decade or two, yet we continue to see shops close. Everyone is now heading over the Forth to places like Edinburgh, Livingston and Glasgow for days out.

Why have people spent money in other communities when we can have locals and people from other areas come to Kirkcaldy?

If they invested in leisure rather than property the community would boom.

Deborah Oslok: It’s such a shame but how many of you moaning actually have shopped in the Postings recently and regularly - or the High Street for that matter?

This is just what happens when retail parks are built. They’re more convenient.

Katarzyna Jajszczok: Maybe it's a time to think out of the box. What is the plus of that place? Location.

It’s next to bus station, on the path to railway station, with streams of walkers - ho about a touristic hub, promoting the region? This is a time to take action and do something.

Sunil Hutchin-Bellur: A self-fulfilling prophecy. Planning keeps being given to out of town chains that really need you to have a car. Competing stores that can't afford that model go out of business on the High Street.

The empty retail space sits in the control of owners interested only in the bottom line. The Postings could be entirely reimagined as a social enterprise, arts, retail hub for the community but I expect it'll just be flats.

Andy Mitchell: Free parking and low rents are the only hope for Kirkcaldy’s shopping centre and High Street - but the buffoons are even putting new parking ticket machines on the Promenade. Not the way to attract families etc to Kirkcaldy.

Hazel Thomson: High Streets need to be re-purposed. People are voting with their feet - they just don’t want to shop there anymore.

Arthur Fotheringham: It would be ideal for pubs, restaurants, a cinema and night club, at reduced rates to encourage developers - and next to the bus station too.

Derek Forbes: Kirkcaldy is not alone in having deserted shopping centres and High Streets, as more people shop online now.

David Cassidy: It needs to be demolished for the good of the remaining High Street.

These shopping centres were built at the height of a retail boom that's been over for decades. Use this as an opportunity to bring better access to the High Street and rid us of an eyesore that creates rat runs and dark dismal corners.

Bill McLeary: The death knell for Kirkcaldy started when Tesco moved out then British Home Stores, Next, M&S etc then more money wasted on the waterfront project which has more parking ticket machines for us gullible folk tae use

Andrew Davies: Kirkcaldy needs free rates, free car parking, rent subsidised for certain periods, bus and rail subsidiaries, to encourage large businesses/start ups to come back - it also needs retail parks taxed to help pay for this.

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